- To acquire knowledge about the development and relevance of sociological theories and research on organisations, their structures and functioning, and changes therein.
- To be able to discriminate between various theoretical insights (similarities and differences) concerning organisations.
- To obtain a theoretically informed in depth view and understanding of a specific company, through the composition of a portfolio.
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This course is focussed on the problem (P), theory (T) and policy (P) parts of the so called PTRP (PTOB in Dutch) cycle in the Sociological bachelor's curriculum.
During most parts of our life, we are embedded in organisations, and their structures and contents have a major effect on our lives. Without knowledge about and insight in modern organisations, we cannot understand many social problems. Scientific theories and research on organisations are multidisciplinary, including economics, management science, geography, political sciences, but also psychology and sociology. This course provides an introduction to various topics central to the sociological understanding of organisations. In this course, important sociological theories and research on organisations will be presented and discussed.
The course is structured around 6 theoretical strands of thought or perspectives (see Watson, 2012 p.33):
• the managerial-psychologistic perspective,
• the Durkheim-human-relations-systems perspective,
• he interactionist-negotiated-order perspective,
• the Weber-social-action-institutional perspective,
• the Marxian-labour-process perspective, and finally,
• the poststructuralist &postmodern perspective.
These perspectives act as lenses through which various topics concerning organisations can be looked upon, and studied, in specific ways. By the end of this course, students will have been exposed to a wide range of core concepts of the sociological field. In this course we will be looking at topics such as organisational structure, organisational change, work & occupations, work ethics &excellence, organisational culture and power issues in and around organisations. Each week is organised around a specific topic which will be studied in various ways. First, the topic of the week will be addressed in the weekly lecture. Second, the topic will be discussed in the weekly workshop for which students are required to make a preparatory assignment. Third, a specific case relevant to that week’s (and earlier) topic(s) will be studied in the workshop. Fourth, students will work in groups of 3-4 students on a Cumulative Company Specific Portfolio (CCSP) during the last third of the workshop. This portfolio is intended to apply theory to a particular company. Students are expected to update their portfolio every week after a new topic has been addressed in the lecture and workshop. At the end of the course this cumulative portfolio is graded.
Assumed knowledge
Knowledge at the level of the introductory courses (bachelor 1 in social sciences), as well as sound knowledge of the English language is assumed.
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